Macro Extremes (week ending May 3, 2024)

A weekly Macro, Cross Asset review of prices trading at extremes which may generate future investment ideas and opportunities.

The following assets (on a weekly timeframe) either registered an Overbought or Oversold reading and/or have traded more than 2.5 standard deviations above or below its rolling mean.

  • denotes multiple week inclusion

Extremes “above” the Mean (at least 2.5 standard deviations)

Australian 2, 3, 5 & 10 year government bond yields *

Japanese 2 year government bond yield

South Korean 10 year government bond yield *

Copper/Gold Ratio

U.S. 5 year government bond yield minus U.S. 5 year inflation breakeven rate *

Newcastle Coal

Oats

AUD/IDR *

AUD/THB *

Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) *

Hang Seng Index *

J’burg 40 

Singapore Straits Times Index *

Overbought (RSI > 70)

Russian 10 year government bond yield 

AEX

Budapest

Malaysia’s KLSE *

Pakistan’s KSE Index *

FTSE 250

and Turkiye’s BIST 100 *

The Overbought Quinella (Both Overbought and Traded at > 2.5 standard deviations above the weekly mean)

Brazilian 10 year government bond yields 

Copper

Extremes “below” the Mean (at least 2.5 standard deviations)

SHY

PHP/USD *

Dow Jones Transports *

And Indonesia’s IDX30 *

Oversold (RSI < 30)

Lithium Hydroxide

North European Hot Rolled Coil Steel

The Oversold Quinella (Both Oversold and Traded at < 2.5 standard deviations below the weekly mean)

Lumber

Urea

Notes & Ideas:

Government bond yields fell.

Many streaks were broken such as the 5 week winning streak in Canadian and South Korean 10’s along with all the yields across the British curve.

Chinese 10 year bond yields is no longer oversold as its yield rose.

Equities were mostly higher.

However, selected European bourses did see weakness.

China’s A50 Index and the U.S. KBW Bank Index have risen 7.5% and 5.2% respectively, over the past 3 weeks.

IBEX, MIB, & Stockholm’s OSX 30 aren’t overbought anymore.

The HSCEI and Hang Seng both rose 4.5% for the week, adding to last week’s 9% advance.

Furthermore, the Hang Seng and U.S. (KRE) Regional Banks Index are in a 3 week winning streak.

The SOX finished flat following last week’s stunning 10% rise.

Karachi broke its 6 week winning streak.

The Nasdaq Transports has declined for 5 consecutive weeks.

And Toronto’s TSX registered a bearish outside reversal week.

Commodities were mostly lower, again.

Weakness was seen in Cocoa, Coffee, Precious Metals, Oils and Distillates.

Strength was evident in Base Metals, Coal, Gases and Grains.

Some of the grains have strung 3 weeks of consecutive gains.

Aluminium, Tin & Nickel are not overbought anymore, nor is Cocoa, Coffee or Gold (in any currency).

Cocoa has fallen 31% in the past fortnight and has broken its overbought streak of 27 weeks.

While Australian Coking Coal isn’t oversold this week.

Robusta Coffee has fell 15% accounting for nearly half of the 39% rise seen in the prior 9 weeks.

Cotton has fallen for 8 consecutive weeks while Rubber has sunk for 6 weeks straight.

Iron Ore in a 5 week winning streak.

U.S. Hot Rolled Coil Steel performed a bearish weekly outside reversal.

And Lithium Hydroxide has now spent 42 consecutive weeks in weekly oversold territory.

Currencies are providing stealth guidance for the health of various asset trends.

The big news was the strength in the Japanese Yen and it’s no longer at last weeks extremes.

The AUD rose against all except the Yen.

The Canadian Loonie fell while the Euro was mixed.

The British Pound fell with the exception of the USD pair.

The Thai Baht broke its 7 week losing streak against the USD.

And the USD/SEK registered a outside weekly bearish week.

The larger advancers over the past week comprised of;

Australian Coking Coal 3.2%, Baltic Dry Index 9%, China Coking Coal 4.7%, Tin 2%, Newcastle Coal 5.8%, Natural Gas 11.4%, Platinum 4.7%, Dutch TTF Gas 5.5%, Uranium 5.5%, Corn 2.3%, Oats 7.9%, Soybeans 3.2%, China A50 2%, HSCEI 4.4%, Hang Seng 4.7%, Russell 2000 1.8%, KRE Regional Bank Index 3%, FTSE 250 1.7%, Nasdaq Biotechs 5.9%, Chile 2.6% and the BIST 100 rose 3.6%.

For reference, the S&P 500 rose 0.6% for the week.

The group of largest decliners from the week included;

Aluminium (1.9%), Cocoa (23.1%), WTI Crude (6.9%), Cotton (3.5%), Lean Hogs (2%), Heating Oil (4.7%), Coffee (Arabica) (10.4%), Lumber (2.7%), Lithium (5.7%), Gasoline (6.9%), Coffee (Robusta) (14.7%), SPGSCI (3.8%), CRB Index (3.5%), Brent Crude Oil (6%), Gasoil (5.3%), Urea Middle East (2.1%), Silver in AUD (3.6%), Silver in USD (2.4%), Gold in AUD (2.7%), Gold in CHF (2.6%), Gold in EUR (2.2%), Gold in GBP (2%), Gold in ZAR (3%), CAC (1.6%), MIB (1.8%) and Spain’s IBEX fell 2.7%.

May 5, 2024

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Cocoa and its parabola

Cocoa prices have fallen 40% over the past 2 weeks.

#Cocoa ($7,070) is no longer more expensive (per metric ton) than #Copper ($9,700)

May 3, 2024

They’ll be a 2nd chance to buy Chinese equities

In the short-term, I think the rally in Chinese equity indices is one to ‘rent’, rather than ‘own’.

And I see particular nuances across the 15% – 20% advance seen in the CSI 300 and the #China A50 to the 30% rise in the HSCEI.

It’s been a constructive effort building a new base, however the current trends are not (yet) all exhibiting strength.

I’m anticipating a near-term moment to scalp some returns. Later, I expect an opportunity to accumulate at lower levels.

In this week’s edition of Macro Extremes, the HSCEI will appear in an Overbought ‘extreme’ category.

Inversely, the study below shows the moments when the CSI 300 (in Macro Extremes) was Oversold.

May 3, 2024

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Screenshot

Urea, Natural Gas and things fertiliser are nearing lows

Following my pithy comment about food, calories and fertiliser,
readers can track my historical posts about this topic here,

https://lnkd.in/gJ-2rQh8

There is continuity in those posts about the relationship that fertiliser prices have with the price of Natural Gas.

The chart below is the latest illustration and update between the U.S. Gulf Urea price and the Henry Hub Natural Gas price.

May 2, 2024
by Rob Zdravevski
rob@karriasset.com.au

Screenshot

It’s quiet on the food front

I remember all of that noise around Urea, Fertiliser, Nitrogen, Grains and the world requiring calories……

……now not so much.

#contrarian

Woolworths shares can halve from its peak

Many investors think that you “can’t go wrong owning ‘blue chips'”.

The #Woolworths share price traded down to A$30.12 today.

5 months ago, I wrote this note implying that shares in the Australian & New Zealand (supermarket) retailer could see $30.00 before experiencing some sort of ‘exhaustion’.

If I was ever interested in buying shares in a retailer with a 2% net margin……today’s price is still not cheap enough.

Even though #Woolies (WOW.ASX) shares have recently declined 25%, I think a price of $24.60 is possible. That would represent a decline of a further 20% from today’s A$30.50 closing price.

May 2, 2024

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Screenshot

Late in the ‘current’ gold trade

For buyers of buying gold related equities at current levels, probability isn’t stacked your way.

“They” are closer to being a sell, than a buy.

If expressed in the form of the GDXJ (Van Eck Junior Gold Miners ETF), I think I’ll be able to buy it 25% cheaper than todays $42.67.

And be careful of historical charts showing where prices “once came from” and phrases such as ‘breakouts’ and “resistance lines”, whether its monthly or weekly or daily or hourly………

Caveat Emptor!

April 30, 2024

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

Screenshot

Intel CEO on the ropes

I think Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger is on the ropes.

I’ve watched his various media interviews and listened to Intel quarterly earnings calls. Tone and posture has changed over the past 2 years and not for the better.

Coupled with Intel’s woeful stock performance since his appointment as CEO in February 2021, using the word’s “A.I.” and “Data Centres” can only do so much for the stock price.

Intel had 5 rounds of job cuts in 2023.

It just won $8.5 billion in U.S. Federal subsidies from the $52 billion CHIPS Act Congress passed last year and was promised to receive $11 billion in loans.

Regarding the funds available within the CHIPS Act, CEO Pat Gelsinger said he is counting on additional federal funding this year for defense-related semiconductor projects. And he said he hopes for a second CHIPS Act to reverse the long erosion of domestic technology manufacturing.

“We’ll need at least a CHIPS 2 to finish that job,” Gelsinger said.

https://www.govtech.com/workforce/intel-wins-8-5b-in-federal-chip-factory-subsidies

Its an early call, but a change in CEO will be good for the stock price.

by Rob Zdravevski

April 29, 2024

rob@karriasset.com.au

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Investing Noise – April 29, 2024

3 months ago, heaps of noisy pessimism in Chinese equities. Now, they are 20% higher.

2 months ago, lots of noise for a rising Uranium price, today…..it’s quiet at the moment and prices are 20% lower.

Prior 3 weeks, Gold and Silver bullishness attracted lots of noise.

Today, very noisy around the weakness of the Japanese Yen

Currently, there is noise in Lithium, Lumber or Steel prices.

Apple’s stock price is nearing mean reversion

Whether its Mean Reversion or Mean Convergence…..

Should I become interested in buying shares in Apple Inc., then $147 would be a place I’ll ponder.

Apple’s stock price is much closer to such mean reversion/convergence than the other mega cap tech companies.

April 28, 2024

by Rob Zdravevski

rob@karriasset.com.au

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